Peter Bayliss (27 June 1922 – 29 July 2002) was an English actor. Bayliss was born in Kingston upon Thames and trained at the Italia Conti Academy and the John Gielgud Company. More than six feet tall, with a voice to match, he supplemented it with a barrage of wheezings, croakings, mutterings and, as the opera singer in Frontiers of Farce (Old Vic, 1977), garglings. In 1956 he appeared on stage in "The Matchmaker" at the Royale Theatre in New York and in 1960 he appeared in "Ross" at the Royal Haymarket Theatre in London. His 20 films ranged from The Red Shoes (1948) to Darling (1965). He acted in more than 40 television productions including Please Sir! (he played the part of Mr Dunstable, Dennis Dunstable's father), The Sweeney, Coronation Street, Lovejoy and The Bill, plus dramas like Bye, Bye Columbus (1990), Merlin (1998) and The Arabian Nights (1999). On radio he was particularly good in Jacobean adaptations, playing characters with names such as Sir Moth-Interest and Walter Whorehound. He appeared in more than 100 theatre productions. He made several films for the Children's Film Unit in his later years.
Selected filmography
Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) - Aide to Mithridates (uncredited) The Red Shoes (1948) - Evans - Lord Oldham's Chauffuer (uncredited) The Frightened Man (1952) - Bilton Jet Storm (1959) - Bentley From Russia with Love (1963) - Commissar Benz Darling (1965) - Lord Grant The Spy with a Cold Nose (1966) - Professor (uncredited) Pretty Polly (1967) - Critch 30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia (1968) - Victor House of Cards (1968) - Edmond Rosier Lock Up Your Daughters (1969) - Mr. Justice Squeezum Arthur? Arthur! (1969) - Dr. Hubble The Magic Christian (1969) - Pompous Toff Please Sir! (1971) - Mr. Dunstable Vampira (1974) - Maltravers Mr. Selkie (1979) - Mr. Selkie Bullshot (1983) - Chairman of the Institute Mister Skeeter (1984) - title role School for Vandals (1986) - Sir Oswald Kane Hard Road (1988) - Hitch-Hiker Emily's Ghost (1992) - Rev. Dodsworth Don't Get Me Started (1994) - Father (voice, uncredited) The Ugly Duckling (1997) - The Actor Manager (voice) Merlin (1998) - 2nd Physician Alice in Wonderland (1999) - Mr. Dodo Midsomer Murders (1999) - Tramp